David Silvester has blamed the recent storms on the decision to legalise gay marriage

Nigel Farage hit back at attacks on Ukip, after he suspended a councillor who blamed the Christmas and New Year floods on David Cameron’s decision to legalise gay marriage.

David Silvester claimed last week that the country had been ‘beset by storms’ because the Prime Minister had acted ‘arrogantly against the Gospel’ by passing same-sex marriage laws.

Ukip’s leadership had originally refused to discipline Mr Silvester, 73, a town councillor in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, saying that everyone was entitled to their religious views.

But he was finally suspended yesterday afternoon after defying a request not to do further interviews on his beliefs.

However, Mr Farage today suggested that the remarks had only become a story after Mr Silvester joined Ukip from the Tory party, where he had previously aired similar views.

Speaking in a question-and-answer session in the City, the Ukip leader said: 'I think it is very interesting that, when Mr Silvester was saying these things in 2012 and 2013 as a Conservative town councillor in Henley, it was not a news story. But suddenly he switches to Ukip and continues the same thing and gets on the national news.

'I think that shows you and tells you all you need to know. The establishment, the status quo, the big businesses, the big Eurocrats and our three so-called main political parties are scared witless by what Ukip is doing because we are striking a chord not just for ordinary people but for many elements in the business community as well.

It emerged at the weekend that five of the party’s current MEPs have been told they will not be able to stand again.

Michael Fallon, the Conservative Business Minister, said the Silvester affair showed that ‘there clearly are one or two fruitcakes still around there’.

He told the BBC’s Sunday Politics Show: ‘[The Tories are] the only party that can actually secure reform and give people the choice they’ve been arguing for a long time. Whatever happens in the European elections, it is simply a protest vote.’